Thoughts on property advert/pricing?

[Throwsomeideasmyway]

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some opinions on this property advert/photos/pricing. All thoughts/feedback gratefully received! https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/160360220

Hmm...
to me the first picture of the front of the house isn't great. It looks dark, tired and uncared for.
The inside of the house seems ok. It looks like a new build that someone hasn't bothered to do anything with so could be a decent blank canvas for someone without paying new build premiums.
However, imo the whole house just looks a bit soul-less.

I don’t know the pricing as don’t know the are

But the photos are ok
just ok
could be improved

you have to remember that most people look on their phones.

there is nothing awful but equally nothing stands out

it needs colour

I do professional house styling for sale and rental

my advice would be to add pops of colour, in the gardens, walls, cushions, bedrooms, bathrooms.

choose one or two complimentary colours

and add accessories. Cheap is fine, or borrow

you don’t have to spend a lot

just make the thumbnail pictures memorable

If you're selling this house, I'd maybe be asking the agent to remove the exterior pic with the neighbours wheelie bin featured...

I would be instantly put off by what looks like a hundred windows looking into my garden. Is it a care home? Office building?

Thank you, really helpful feedback, keep it coming! Yes, I think the lighting doesn’t do it justice and makes it look a bit dark, which it isn’t at all. Agree also re: the exterior pics. Hadn’t even thought about the building next door. It’s a care home so very quiet/you never see anyone looking out of those windows, but agree this shot could be off putting if you didn’t know that!

It looks like a lovely house that's been rented out and nobody has ever added any personality because they knew they wouldn't be staying.

Totally agree about adding colour. Towels, cushions, something pretty hanging on the coat hooks in the hallway, rugs, picture, huge vases of flowers on tables, fruit and flowers in kitchen.

The first picture hints that if you buy this place there's work to do from the outset. Weeds on the drive, patchy grass, a drive that looks like a banger of a car has been parked on it for a decade. Jet wash the drive, weed, water lawn, add a couple of pots with colourful flowers.

I can't comment on price although I always find the range thing strange. I mean if you're saying £375 - 400,000 nobody is going to offer 400.

Speaking personally, I like your house very much, but the single worst thing about it in my opinion is the extent to which it's so hugely overlooked. Is there anyway you could get pictures that lessen the impact of that because I think if someone saw how much your house has to offer (excellent kitchen, lots of space, big back garden) they might fall in love with it enough to think the overlooked nature of it doesn't matter - or at least to move in and plant a fast growing hedge.

@Bridportthanks for such a detailed reply - some really helpful ideas : )

the floorplan should have the sizes of the rooms indicated. they look small and mean on the plan, but look bigger in the photos.

and I think it is nice to have a place look a bit more lived in - put a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, some colourful rugs on the floor and some posters on the walls if you are getting photos redone.

Odd angled pics.
Why didn’t they do some cropping / editing before posting the pics. In some of the exterior shots it’s debatable which house I’m meant to be looking at.
The person taking it was very tall? They seem to be taken from a very high perspective.
Agree re the garden pic showing just how overlooked you are. I’d remove that. Or change the angle.
Inject some personality. Both outside - the front looks a bit bland. And inside too.
eg put some colourful pots outside the front door. Lay the table in the kitchen. Stick a big vase of fresh flowers on the island. Just a few things here a there to zhush it up.
And yes, get room sizes added to the floorplan.

I do agree that it looks like an ex rental. However it is a blank canvas for the next buyer to put their stamp on. I am buying an ex rental new build which is magnolia everywhere. The EA who was selling the house said alot of people were put off by the amount of work required!. When you buy a second hand NB you are not getting the incentives that house builders give such as choice of kitchen, new floors etc - this needs to be reflected in the price. The house style will limit the people who will buy this house - too many stairs for older/infirm and people with young children won't like them sleeping on different floor.

Agree it looks a little like a well kept rental as a slight lack of character and warmth, but a great blank canvas for the next person. Garden is quite overlooked and bland, but again nothing a few hedges for privacy and planting could fix if I was keen on the house. I’d maybe ask the EA to take out some of the overlooked garden photos from RM. Someone viewing the house and really liking it, might be able to see past the overlooked garden which could probably be rectified with some clever planting.

Lacks warmth. Looks like a rental.

Keep seeing Rightmove properties that include the downstairs wc as a bathroom. Is this a new thing?
Blank canvas house, looks nice. Agree, less 'overlooked' shots of the garden.

Clean your driveway to illustrate that the house is cared for. Work on the little scrap of lawn at the front and add some flowers to the bed there to help it look welcoming

please follow the advice of the home staging person for photos. You want to catch people’s eye when they’re scrolling through. The items don’t have to be there when they view.

put the chest of drawers under the mirror and not at the end of the bed for photos. Makes it look as though there is no room for a chest of drawers in the room do you squeezed it in there.

different photos of the garden to not highlight how overlooked it is. In reality, people would likely add trees, even okra he’d trees, to have some privacy but people may just scroll on by because that is just one more thing to do when looking at the house in line

you want to get people in to view, foster a positive feeling before they get inside.

the study with that huge sofa feels squashed without desk. Can you put the desk under the window just for the photos or remove that sofa for the photos? Just looks so squashed. You don’t want the rooms to look small or that there isn’t enough space in the house.

Doesn't seem that over priced to me given what is on the rest of the market and its initial sale price back in 2019. It's got a decent back garden for a new build and is end terrace which should bump it up a bit compared with others.

The outside looks like a rental and is a bit tatty. A bit of TLC here might make a better impression. The interior lacks style and has a bit of a sterile feel about it, but no one sensible is going to be influenced if you paint one of the interior walls purple.

If you are not getting much interest and want to move it quickly then dropping the price is probably the only sensible move.

House looks very nice, but it really bugs me when estate agents don't put dimensions on floor plan. I want to know how much house I'm getting for my money. I'd instantly discount this house and move on just because of this.

Are they in the full description? Lots are.

Yes you're right- they are.

But even so, I like to know the total square footage on first glance at floorpan, not to have to get my calculator out and work it out.

No kerb appeal from 1st photo.
No dimensions on floor plan.
It's useful to label the photos, particularly bedrooms so you can cross-reference them to the floor plan.
Pull the weeds out of your drive and round the front door.
I have a really dislike of beds under windows (photo12), hence why it's useful to room dimensions so you can see that it fits turned round against a wall.
Remove photo 18, it doesn't need 2 of the front door and next door's wheelie bin isn't attractive!
I think your inside photos are ok, it doesn't seem dark at all. The kitchen diner is lovely!
Guide price is annoying, just put it on at a price and be willing to accept offers.
Council tax band is useful to include.

Fair enough, agree. Don’t see the point of a floor plan without dimensions, either. Just would be a shame if you missed out unnecessarily.

It's a bit sparsely decorated.
The photos could be improved (not terrible but not great)
The price (375k) doesn't look ridiculous compared to others that are under offer. I would definitely remove the guide price 375-400 as you won't get 400k for it and it will put people off.
How much interest have you had in the nearly 3 months of marketing? If very little and no offers, you will need to reduce if you want to sell. Usually 5% minimum for a reduction.

I agree. I would want to see proper measurements too.

I think dimensions on the floorplan are more critical because 2 of your 4 bedrooms are set up as offices. No harm in that but it's useful to easily see how a bed would fit in them.

Thanks everyone, appreciate you taking the time to look and all valid points 👍🏻

Get rid of photo 17 as that alone would preclude me from taking any further interest in the property.

It looks horribly overlooked by adjoining properties. I appreciate you can’t change that but if you want people through the door then don’t advertise it and let them make their own minds up when they get there.